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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Browning campaigns to help shelter dogs

By: Charlene Adam

Posted: 02/24/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Ruth Bonneville Winnipeg Free Press Kurt Browning spends some time with a Corgi pup at D�Arcy�s A.R.C.animal shelter Monday to help spread awareness about the plight of shelter dogs in Canada.

FORMER world figure skating champion Kurt Browning glided through Winnipeg on a tour of a different nature Monday -- he was here to remind Winnipeggers that animal shelter dogs make great pets.

Browning is helping spread awareness about the plight of shelter dogs, and encouraging Canadians to help thousands of these loveable mutts find new homes.

He's the spokesman for the Pedigree Pet Adoption Drive, a campaign that raised nearly $300,000 in 2008 for shelters across the country.

Browning, a four-time world champion, dropped by local pet shelter, D'Arcy's A.R.C. (Animal Rescue Centre) to spread the word.

"At one point, when it's the right time, most (Canadians) will get a dog," he said. "When that happens, don't forget the shelters."

Browning's seems a perfect fit for this cause. Growing up on a Caroline, Alta., farm, animals were always part of his world.

In fact, it was the family pet that actually enticed the Canadian skating legend to take his first few steps on the ice.

"A dog forced me to play hockey," he said, recalling how, when he was no more than three, his German Shepherd would push pucks around his backyard rink enticing him to chase him.

Since then, he's always has a love for furry friends.

And he's now in his second year helping the Pedigree dog food company spark Canadians' interest in shelter dogs.

Eac year, over 45,000 dogs end up in Canadian shelters. For every one that gets adopted, at least one other gets left behind.

This year, the campaign hopes to raise $500,000.

Browning understands that a shelter dog isn't always the first choice for many Canadians. He knows this from personal experience.

When he and his wife, Sonia Rodriguez (principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada), adopted their cat, they chose one from an animal shelter. However, when they decided to get a dog, they sought out a breeder.

Browning said had he known eight years ago what he knows now, the couple "would have had a shelter dog."

Animal shelters aren't "jails for bad dogs," he explained. These pets are seen by veterinarians, "have vaccinations, are spayed or neutered ...the dog comes first."

D'Arcy Johnston, the owner of D'Arcy's A.R.C, totally agrees with the message Browning passed along Monday. That means the shelter won't grant an adoption to "just anyone." The goal is to match pets with the right family and to promote responsible pet ownership.

Browning, one of the country's most beloved athletes of all time for his success both nationally and on the international stage, said a pet's love is unconditional.

"You are a superhero to your animal."

char.adam@mts.net

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 24, 2009 A4

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